Archive for category Departments
Chennai Corporation budget for 2010-11 will have 121 schemes
Posted by ganesh in Assembly, Chennai, Communication, Health, Information, Other, Public, budget, government, hospital on March 13th, 2010
The Chennai Corporation budget for 2010-11 will have 121 schemes, one more than last year, according to Mayor M.Subramanian.
In an interaction with reporters on Friday, after inaugurating two dental clinics of the civic body — one each in north and south Chennai — at a total cost of Rs.25 lakh, he said all schemes announced in the last budget had been implemented. The clinics were also announced in budget. The clinics, in ward 116 (on Anna Salai, Teynampet) and ward 12 (near Pandian Theatre in Old Washermenpet) would offer free treatment. They would function from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on all days, except Sundays.
He said that four dentists had been employed full time by the Chennai Corporation for these two facilities as well as for the existing clinic in ward 123 and the mobile clinic. The Corporation has given priority in appointment to persons with disabilities — three of the dentists are persons with disabilities.
Last year, the Chennai Corporation conducted dental check ups for students of its schools and over 52,000 children were referred for further treatment, Mr. Subramanian
Madras HC decision on Nalini Sriharan’s premature release in two weeks
Posted by ganesh in Chennai, Communication, Court, Information, Other, release on March 13th, 2010
The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday told the Madras High Court that it will take a decision on Nalini Sriharan’sdecision on premature release in two weeks. The government said it has sought additional details from the Prison Advisory Board (PAB) set up to consider Nalini’s plea.
Amid high drama and huge expectations, the government furnished the advisory board’s recommendations in the high court on Thursday. Nalini, convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, is serving life sentence and is in jail for about 19 years now.
A division bench of Justice Elipe Dharma Rao and Justice KK Sasidharan, after going through the report submitted by advocate-general PS Raman in a sealed cover, asked the government to take a decision on the matter expeditiously.
“Having created a hope, do not delay the final decision any further…” This seems to be the gist of the division bench’s observations on Thursday. However, it was not clear whether the bench was referring to a decision by the government on the matter or the premature release itself.
A four-member PAB had interviewed Nalini at Vellore on January 20, and forwarded recommendations later. Backed by a positive report from the probation officer, who is the field official who makes spot visits and ascertains the societal impact of premature releases, the PAB is understood to have recommended the premature release of Nalini.
TOI had reported on the decision of the board in its edition on January 21. The report, however, reached the government only a couple of days ago.
YRGCare has been of help in tackling the issue of HIV treatment
The contributions made by organisations such as YRGCare has been of help in tackling the issue of HIV treatment in the State, project director of Tamilnadu State AIDS Control Society (TNSACS) Shambu Kallolikar has said.
Shambu was speaking at a function to inaugurate a new family health centre at the VHS-YRGCARE Medical Centre at Taramani in Chennai recently.
He said that the State has become a haven for those affected by HIV-AIDS thanks to help rendered by civil society.
Director of YRGCare Suniti Solomon said a fully-equipped theatre has also been constructed, so that persons with HIV/AIDS requiring surgical interventions can be taken care of.
Suniti said the new block which adds about 12,000 sq ft to YRGCare’s existing medical centre would be a sort of one-stop medical unit for people with HIV.
Chief Medical Officer at YRGCare N Kumaraswamy said that surgeons have volunteered to perform operations at the new medical centre.
‘Recovery rooms have also been constructed and space allocated for an extensive laboratory, ‘ he added.
Many present on the occasion were of the opinion that such facilities should also be made available to those in the rural areas, and also noted that alternative methods of treating AIDS should be actively promoted. MAC- AIDS Fund is the sponsor for this project.
Tiruchi Corporation has decided to go in scientific closure of accumulated garbage dump
Posted by ganesh in Departments, Health, Public, Trichy, government, illegal, modification, programme on March 13th, 2010
The Tiruchi Corporation has decided to go in for ‘scientific closure’ of the over 12 lakh tonnes of accumulated garbage at its Ariyamangalam dump, on the lines of a project executed in Coimbatore.
The move comes after the civic body toyed with various other options to dispose of the massive garbage accumulation at the dump. With the possibility of the shifting the garbage dump being virtually ruled out, given the practical difficulties in transporting the colossal accumulation, the Corporation has now decided to go in for the disposal method which has proved to be successful in Coimbatore.
The Coimbatore Corporation has converted huge mounds of garbage into lush green hillocks as part of an integrated waste management scheme taken up under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
A similar project will be taken up in Tiruchi also, Corporation Commissioner T.T. Balsamy told The Hindu on Thursday. “We propose to compact the accumulated waste and create a hillock in an area of about five to six acres in the Ariyamangalam dump,” Mr.Balsamy said.
The garbage dump is spread over an area of about 45 acres has turned a veritable swamp of putrid and reeking mounds of garbage, accumulated down the years. About 350 to 400 tonnes of garbage collected from the city is dumped at site everyday. Local residents in recent years have been demanding shifting of the dump maintaining that it has turned into a health hazard.
One of the objectives of the new waste management project is to create green spaces on the site. A layer of gravel would be spread over the compacted waste, followed by layers of clay, gravel and soil. High quality grass would be cultivated over the hillock.
Rainwater will flow down the hillock into a storm water drain that would runs around it. This would prevent water seepage through the hillock and the waste dump. A pipe would be provided on top of the hillock to release methane gas produced by the garbage dump.
A private firm which partnered the Coimbatore Corporation in executing the project has been asked to prepare a detailed project report for Tiruchi, Mr.Balsamy said. The scientific closure would ensure proper disposal of the accumulated solid waste without polluting the environment. It would also put an end to the frequent fires at the garbage dump. There would be no air pollution either.
Once the project comes through, the Corporation would stop dumping the City’s daily solid waste collection at the site and instead transport them to a new site at its Panchapur sewage treatment farm, Mr.Balsamy said.
The Corporation has also planned to get technical support from the Agriculture Department and hopes to get financial support from the Union government, as part of urban infrastructure development programmes.
Another milestone in Tamil Nadu’s legislative history
Posted by ganesh in Assembly, Chennai, Communication, Departments, Information, Other, anniversary on March 13th, 2010
The new Tamilnadu Secretariat -Assembly complex, a pet project of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi at Omadurar Government Estate on Anna Salai, has been designed depicting the State’s cultural traditions and what is unique is that the building has received the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).
Set for inauguration today, the foundation was laid in June 2008 by the Chief Minister himself. The civil works were undertaken by city-based ECCI company.
The building has been designed by German architect and infrastructure developer GMP International. It is a united venture of Meinhard von Gerkan and Volkwin Marg, who have planned and realised buildings in almost all major cities in Germany.
The duo is famous worldwide for their magnificent designs in countries like Russia and China. The design of the Assembly building takes account of the State’s cultural traditions as well as the urban context of the city of Chennai.
With its highly visible dome, the design echoes the structural features of Dravidian temples in south India. The geometry of the complex’s structure is derived from the traditional, round chakra or mandala motif, consisting of circles of various sizes inscribed in 36 isosceles triangles.
These basic shapes make up the geometrical structure of the entire design in both ground plan and elevation.
The internal plan features courtyard architecture with five round interior courts that are functionally differentiated, creating public, semi-public and also secure internal areas.
The spacious Citizens’ Forum on the south side of the building is created by the largest circle in the mandala. It is both the opening towards the city and the entrance area, with public functional areas.
The three other round courtyards in the interior of the building house the Assembly Hall, the Legislative Assembly Chamber and the Convention Hall.
The State Assembly rests on a battered plinth and is landscaped all round. The glass dome over the Assembly Hall marks the seat of the Tamilnadu Assembly.
The new Legislative Assembly building has received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). LEED is an ecology-oriented internationally recognised building certification programme run in India jointly by the Indian and the US Green Building Councils.
According to the certificate, the building has become India’s largest governmental green building. The project is the single largest green initiative of a public facility of this scale and importance in the country.
The building would use less water, consume less energy, preserve natural resources, generate less waste and provide healthier space for occupants, as compared to a conventional building.
The complex was awarded the certification for adhering to guidelines of green buildings on site management, water efficiency and water use reduction, energy efficiency, enhanced indoor environmental quality and conservation of materials and resources.
The entire site has been well-planned with lot of open and landscaped space to promote bio-diversity and has made provisions to promote alternative transportation.
The exterior design has been planned to reduce heat ingress into the building by maintaining landscaped space to cool the exterior and by shading the walkways, roads and car parks.
A combination of a reflective roof and a green roof insulates the roof, filters stormwater and further reduces heat islands on the building exterior. Another key aspect is the building’s shape and exterior cladding. It is designed as a smooth arc which gleams obliquely against the linearity of the neighbourhood.
The exterior of the building has shaded windows, energy efficient glazing and a screen that incorporates traditional kolam designs.
Materials and their Processing CROME-2010 from March 22
Posted by ganesh in College, Communication, Education, Information, Trichy, modification, programme, release, student, tamilnadu on March 13th, 2010
In a press release here today, Mr S Karunakaran, Chairman of the local chapter of IIM, said CROME-2010 was aimed at providing a knowledge sharing platform by bringing together learned personalities in the field of metallurgy and materials processing and the students of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the disciplines of metallurgical, materials, mechanical and production engineering.
Mr Karunakaran, who is also the General Manager of BHEL here, said about eight experts from NIT Tiruchy, IIT Chennai, PESIT Bangaluru, Annamalai University and BHEL would deliver special lectures covering the fundamentals of materials processing as well as the recent advances in the materials engineering.
”About 30 research papers will be presented by the students from various institutions. Therefore, CROME-2010 will be an ideal opportunity for the younger generation to learn about the recent advances and opportunities in the exciting field of materials and metallurgical engineering,” he added.
The students could get more details from www.iimtiruchy.org or through E-mail: tmaqiim@gmail.com, he said.
The Walt Disney Company is stepping up its production initiatives in India.
Posted by ganesh in Cinema, Communication, Entertainment, Information, businesses, competition on March 13th, 2010
The Walt Disney Company is stepping up its production initiatives in India. The company is betting big on localisation and charting a roadmap to create 14 new family-oriented films in India. Five of these projects are in advanced stages of planning.
According to the company, outside the US, India is one of the largest markets that the company has invested in for local production.
Mahesh Samat, managing director, The Walt Disney Company (India) said: “We are pretty serious about India. Local content will make the Disney brand more relevant in India. Going forward our efforts will be to invest in Hindi films. Outside the US, India is the top market for investment in local content. There are a few projects in the regional space as well and we are starting with south India. It is an important market and will help in increasing Disney’s brand presence and relevance throughout India .”
The still-to-be-named South Indian epic fantasy is scheduled for release in January next year. The Telegu-language movie, which will be dubbed in Tamil, is expected to increase the company’s appeal in the south Indian market.
Disney, however, refused to divulge investment and timeline details on 14 other projects.
Executives of The Walt Disney Co recently received the Foreign Investment Promotion Board’s approval to invest Rs 1,000 crore in India.
Other Hollywood companies are also looking at production as the new business opportunity. Warner Bros and Fox Star studio have already announced their plans to go beyond “just” distribution.
Vijay Singh, chief executive officer, Star-Fox said, “We are in the process of establishing ourselves as a one-stop shop for producers and are looking to co-produce at least five Bollywood films in India on an average.”
British Council has launched IELTS Scholarship Award for Indian students
Posted by ganesh in Award, Communication, Departments, Education, Information, Other, anniversary, student on March 13th, 2010
British Council has launched IELTS Scholarship Award for Indian students planning to study at universities overseas. British Council will select eight students from India, each of whom will receive an award of Rs.3,00,000 towards the cost of tuition fees.
Eligible applicants will have an IELTS test score. IELTS [International English Language Testing System] is the world’s leading English language test designed to evaluate ability to communicate in English for education, immigration and professional accreditation worldwide.
“By launching the IELTS Scholarship Award, the British Council is demonstrating its commitment to supporting young people in realising their aspirations. By giving them access to international educational opportunities, we hope to benefit both individuals and the countries from which they come, while at the same time promoting higher education links between UK and India. We are also launching the Award in three other Asian countries with a total investment of £60,000 / US$90,000 / Rs.42,00,000.”,says Kevin McLaven (First Secretary, Education Services, British High Commission)
Award winners will begin a full time post graduate programme at any overseas university which uses IELTS as a part of its admission requirements and as a reliable measure of English language proficiency. Because IELTS is accepted by over 6,000 institutions in 125 countries worldwide, university choice is wide. In the US alone, over 2500 institutions and programmes accept IELTS. Along with the rise in the number of US institutions accepting IELTS, the number of IELTS test takers globally increased to over 1.4 million in 2009.
Detailed information regarding British Council IELTS Scholarship Award, including application materials, is available at: http://www.ielts.britishcouncil.org.in/
Assembly complex to the Omandurar Government Estate after a gap of 53 years
Posted by ganesh in Assembly, Chennai, Communication, Departments, Information, Other, anniversary, budget, function, government, modification on March 13th, 2010
The inauguration of the Rs.450-crore Legislative Assembly-Secretariat Complex by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday will mark the return of the Assembly complex to the Omandurar Government Estate after a gap of 53 years.
The last time the Assembly met on the Estate was on December 27, 1956. This was during the term of the First Assembly (1952-57). It was only in May 1952 that a building on the Estate, meant for the legislature, was declared open to accommodate the then strength of the Assembly – 375 members. The building, constructed then at a cost of Rs. 10 lakh, later came to be known as Children’s Theatre or Kalaivanar Arangam. In April 1957, the Assembly went back to Fort St. George, which was its venue till January this year.
Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi will preside over the event on Saturday. Governor Surjit Singh Barnala and Congress president Sonia Gandhi will address the function.
Before opening the complex, Dr. Singh will plant a sapling. A stage has been put up near Rajaji Hall for the function. As per the present schedule, the function will last an hour. It is expected to be over by 6 p.m.
Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Puducherry K. Rosaiah, B.S. Yeddyurappa and V. Vaidyalingam respectively and Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram are expected to take part in the function. R. Avudaiappan, Assembly Speaker, will welcome the gathering, while K.S. Sripathi, Chief Secretary, will propose a vote of thanks.
Budget session
The Budget session of the Assembly will begin on March 19 with the presentation of the budget. The week beginning on March 22 will witness the debate on the Budget while the Vote on Account for 2010-2011 and Final Supplementary Estimates for 2009-2010 will be presented on March 26.
According to senior government officials, the session is likely to go on during April when demands for grants for various departments will be taken up.
While the ground and first floors are expected to be ready by the end of next week, work on the other floors may take a few more months. On Friday evening, the Chief Minister visited the Estate to review the arrangements.
Angle it looks like a Sleeping Elephant, and Yaanaimalai
Posted by ganesh in Communication, Health, Information, Madurai, Museum, modification on March 13th, 2010
If you go from Madurai to Melur, you just cannot miss Yaanaimalai. It is a squat, long block of granite. What catches your eye is the lack of vegetation on it, and its resemblance to a behemoth. From an angle it looks like a sleeping elephant, and yaanai in Tamil is elephant.
Yaanaimalai is about 1.5 km long and a km wide. Add a height of about 200 meters at its highest point, and you get granite worth Rs 25,000 crores — at a rough estimate. No one knows how deep the granite layer is.
The issue in Yaanaimalai is about greed and misuse of power for personal gain. So far the political parties in Tamil Nadu, whoever they may be, have stuck to desilting rivers to make money, some have even dredged the ocean for money, and now they plan to destroy a hill for money.
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